Date Published:
July 2008

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Sir George Williams University

Sir George Williams College, an educational institution founded in Montreal by the Young Men's Christian Association. It is named after Sir George Williams (1821-1905), the founder of the Young Men's Christian Associ­ation in England; and it is situated on Drummond street, Montreal. Since 1873 the Young Men's Christian Association in Montreal has carried on educational classes; and in 1920 it inaugurated the Evening High School. In 1926 the board of directors of this school adopted the name "Sir George Williams College" to designate their expanding educational programme. The College was made co­educational in 1926; a building campaign was held, and a large endowment was obtained; the plant and the equipment were enlarged; in 1929 the curriculum was extended to include first year university work in arts, science, com­merce, and engineering; in 1931 a junior college of arts, science, and commerce was organized, covering two years of college work; and in 1934 the junior college was expanded into a faculty of arts, science, and commerce. [In 1935], the principal of the college [was] K. E. Norris. [Sir George Williams received its official college charter in 1948 and changed its name for Sir George Williams University in 1959. The university was the scene of an extensive race riot in 1969. Sir George Williams merged with Loyola College in 1974, forming Concordia University.]

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Volume VI, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 398p., p. 7.